


Spring Cleaning

by TheMulletWhisperer



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Awkwardness, Dust Bunnies, F/F, F/M, Other cool stuff too, Painting, Past Relationship(s), Spring Cleaning, dust - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 17:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7810432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMulletWhisperer/pseuds/TheMulletWhisperer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And unexpected confession is crowbar-ed out of Galina as she and Arkved stumble upon quite the compromising painting during their spring cleaning session.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spring Cleaning

**Author's Note:**

> I have no notes today. You can go home early class.

Galina pulled out another half-box full of papers and the like, turning around and handing them to Arkved, who’d donned goggles on his eyes and a scarf around his mouth and nose to keep out the ‘dust bunnies’, which he had promptly freaked out over after hearing Galina use the term. No bunnies in his ears or mouth for him. 

“Here you go, put this with every other box of papers back there.”

“Which...stack?”

“You know the uh...that one.” She reached back and motioned towards the entire stack of boxes.

“...Right.” Not wanting to poke the bear, he wandered over to the stack of boxes and looked for an open space--which took almost a minute to find. Once he did, however, he slid it into place, watching to make damn sure that it wasn’t going to fall off. Finally certain of the safety of the boxes, he turned back to Galina, who was continuing to rummage through some things.

“So...what next?”

“Just...give me a second h--” Galina went to finish her sentence but cut herself off with an incomprehensible noise somewhere along the lines of “Eeeeeyah!”

Reaching out, she grabbed what looked to be a large portrait and held it close to her chest, away from Arkved.

“What’s that?” instantly, his curiosity kicked in--likely for worse than better.

“Nothing! Let me just go put this...somewhere.” She’d turned from bored to worried, now, and she began shuffling towards the door with the painting held so tight that her knuckles were turning white. 

“Wait, Gali--” By time he’d started talking, she was already off. Opting to follow her, he pulled the mask off and followed the sound of her footsteps, accompanied soon after by the door opening.

At that he sped up, breaking into a run and catching her before she even managed to close the door, thanks to his Justiciar training. 

“No, Arkved!” She tried to escape his newfound grasp on her wrist, sparking a struggle with her considerable strength. However, Arkved being the stronger of the two, he pulled her back in. 

“Come on, Galina, what’s that painting you’re hiding?” He put on a stern face as best as he could--something he’d learned from her--and crossed his arms. “Give it up, you’re caught.”

Floundering for a response, Galina’s mouth moved like a fish out of water before she gave up and turned the painting around to show him.

Perhaps he’d have been better off not knowing.

The painting was of a Nord woman,  _ definitely _ not Galina, with no offense directed towards her. No, this nord had very large and...quite well-shaped breasts. How did he know this? Well, the woman seemed to be wearing a horned helmet.

Just a horned helmet.

And nothing else.

In fact, she’d been painted full-body, lounging on her side with one leg at an angle on the bed she was lying on, and the other lying straight right in front of it. Absolutely nothing was left to the imagination--save for her backside--in the picture. 

Why Galina would have that...Arkved was at a loss, and simply looked up at the blushing Nord. Well...the unpainted Nord.

“I uh...I can explain?”

“That would be appreciated, I am very confused right now.”

“Well...uh...see, the thing is...that’s my girlfriend. Former girlfriend, my former girlfriend.”

He blinked a few times at the confession before simply staring, trying to process what she’d said. Her girlfriend. Galina had once had a girlfriend. That she’d slept with. That--

The next words out of his mouth were ones he wasn’t able to stop, “And you still know her?”

Galina seemed a bit taken aback by the question, but mostly in a confused and surprised way. “I...expected a different reaction. Yeah, we’re friends but my constant absence drove a wedge between us. We still...you know, meet and talk.” Her tone was most certainly sincere, and all modicum of humor that usually accompanied her words had vanished.

Far more curious than jealous, Arkved continued with his line of questioning. “You used to have a girlfriend. You’re...what’s the word...bipolar?”

“Bi...no, what? I’m bi--”

“Carbonate!”   


She stared at him for a few moments. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know, I read it somewhere.”

“Uh...huh. Well, you know, it doesn’t matter, we’re broken up now. I love  _ you _ , Arkved, not her.”

“What? Oh I know that!”

“Oh...you do?”

“Well yeah, you haven’t even done any of the things that the Black Horse Courier says you’d do if you were cheating.”

“That’s good. I think...so you’re not upset?”

“Why would I be?”

“Well...I don’t know, most men would be. Scratch that, most men would want her in bed with us. You’re really okay with me having that painting, though?”

“It’s really nice art, I don’t see what’s wrong with it.”

“She’s naked. In the picture, she’s naked.”

“So?”

Chuckling, Galina shook her head and went to take the painting back to some unused closet, hopefully one less dusty. “You never cease to amaze me, Arkved.”

“What does that mean?” His reply was a bit indignant, but it was obviously forced indignance.

“It means you don’t act like other men at all. And I like that.”

“That’s good! I think!”

Smiling, she shut the door on the painting, turning around and approaching him slowly. Wrapping her hands around his waist, she rested her chin on his chest.

“Very good.”


End file.
